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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. file — a document
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — to tease
  9. firm — decided
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. track — to keep track
  12. firm — a company
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. track — a path
  19. file — a tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. kid — child
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com